Having entered the Christmas season, we ask those who find the work of the Mystagogy Resource Center beneficial to them to help us continue our work with a generous financial gift as you are able. As an incentive, we are offering the following booklet.

In 1909 the German philosopher Arthur Drews wrote a book called "The Myth of Christ", which New Testament scholar Bart D. Ehrman has called "arguably the most influential mythicist book ever produced," arguing that Jesus Christ never existed and was simply a myth influenced by more ancient myths. The reason this book was so influential was because Vladimir Lenin read it and was convinced that Jesus never existed, thus justifying his actions in promoting atheism and suppressing the Orthodox Church in the Soviet Union. Moreover, the ideologues of the Third Reich would go on to implement the views of Drews to create a new "Aryan religion," viewing Jesus as an Aryan figure fighting against Jewish materialism. 

Due to the tremendous influence of this book in his time, George Florovsky viewed the arguments presented therein as very weak and easily refutable, which led him to write a refutation of this text which was published in Russian by the YMCA Press in Paris in 1929. This apologetic brochure titled "Did Christ Live? Historical Evidence of Christ" was one of the first texts of his published to promote his Neopatristic Synthesis, bringing the patristic heritage to modern historical and cultural conditions. With the revival of these views among some in our time, this text is as relevant today as it was when it was written. 

Never before published in English, it is now available for anyone who donates at least $20 to the Mystagogy Resource Center upon request (please specify in your donation that you want the book). Thank you.



January 13, 2013

A True Spouse


By Metropolitan Meletios of Nikopoleos

Vaso and Taki married young, but Vaso was very good and religious while Taki, though he was very good, was indifferent to religion.

Vaso saw his beautiful character with which he treated her with much love, but he also rejoiced very much for the love of his wife. One day Taki asked his wife:

"Vaso, I see that you do me every favor and never tell me no. What do you want from me?"

"I have everything", she responded to him, "I want nothing."

But he insisted:

"But I also want to do something for you. Tell me, and whatever you want will happen."

"Since you insist, I will tell you. The only thing I want is for you also to do your cross, when we eat, when we go to sleep...."

Taki became a little cloudy, but conquered by her goodness and the humility of the woman, he told her: "It will happen, my golden one! Since you want it, it will happen." And he learned to do his cross.

How did Vaso accomplish this? She accomplished it because she did not apply pressure, stress and endless advice to her husband, because she saw these things do not turn out well. She treated him with kindness, goodness and love, to the point where Taki felt so good, that he himself wanted to reciprocate something for her love.

From Οι σχέσεις των συζύγων. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.

BECOME A PATREON OR PAYPAL SUBSCRIBER